Napkin Folding
by By Victoria
Summary: Yelena and Valek graciously fold napkins late into the night for Leif and Mara's wedding and catch up on "talk." I own nothing.


"You never gave her his letter and they nearly broke up because of that. What the hell's wrong with you?!" Yelena was setting the table across the room from him. She had been dancing away from him the whole night, making it impossible for him to reach out and hold her.

Valek only gave her a quizzical smile as he tried to sneak one table closer. So far so good. "You know there simply aren't enough hours in the night for that, love."

Yelena narrowed her eyes as she watched him try to get closer. Already at the end of the room, she moved to the table directly below her. It put roughly two more rows of round tables between her and him.

Valek frowned. He peered at her half empty basket and the pile they had painstakingly folded sitting on the bride and groom's table. A sly smirk touched his lips. And she had moved in the opposite direction of that.

The courtyard was meant to service a grand total of six hundred guests. Yelena swept her gaze over the tables, imagining how much preparation must have gone into this party. She shook her head and decided she loved weddings so long as napkin folding and setting would be the most she ever had to do for one.

They worked in companionable silence for a moment before she realized her dilemma. Yelena bit her lip. She'd never make it to the bridal table when that cocky rat was already waiting to intercept her on the walkway. Weaving through the tables would only make it worse.

But her eye caught the basket he had abandoned to keep his hands free as much as possible. She glanced back quickly at him so he wouldn't see her scheme. But could she outrun him?

"Valek, honey?" Yelena called out to him. It was one of those pet names for him that she had tried but never made a habit of.

He scrambled to keep the napkins in his arms from falling upon hearing the uncharacteristic endearment from his lover.

Stifling a giggle, she purred, "Would you mind getting me a few more napkins, dear?" She settled in the chair and smiled sweetly, as if admitting defeat.

When he had turned his back, Yelena crept up from the seat and made a mad dash for the other basket. She succeeded in claiming the filled one for her own but doing so had put her at a distance dangerously closer to him. But she could always fix that again.

"Never mind!" She held up his basket, smiling wickedly. "I found some."

Hands on his hips, Valek shook his head. She knew she'd have to pay for that later. But he took her basket wordlessly, indicating a concession.

Giddy over her victory, Yelena blithely went to the table behind her. Valek strode past a few set tables with panther-like grace until only two tables were between them. He carried the basket this time. "How did Kade do in his demonstration?"

Yelena set a napkin down. "He was nervous and nearly backed out of it all. But he did very well. We were all very impressed, even the Commander."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "He even managed to give the village some time outdoors when he stopped that blizzard. You should've seen it. Snow never looked so pretty in MD-1."

Valek scoffed. "Snow is a nuisance. It's only pretty when you don't have to shovel it."

Unfazed, she continued. "Well at the very least you have to admit he was impressive. He saved lives and resources. He managed to make the Commander rethink, if in the slightest bit, his stringent policy towards magic. And of course there was…the way he danced." She said the last bit with a dream like falter that made him glance at her sharply.

True to her acrobatic nature, Yelena had caught onto Sitia's favorite hobby quickly. And to his greatest amusement, Valek had caught the charming Liaison, at official delegations, practicing her footwork under the table during an opening show.

"What about his dancing?"

"Oh well…it was so impressive!" She said with brimming admiration.

"Yes you've mentioned that. Care to explain what was so impressive about it?"

Yelena swiftly set the table and moved on to another. "Well Stormdancing is very complex art. It takes years to master all the moves that come with it – to get one's body as well as mind in tune with the winds and all. And…he simply knew what he was doing. But it wasn't so much about his body when he danced. There was a way he…called to the storm, commanded it, and…spun it…before siphoning it into the orb. Spun…or gathered more like…He called it 'bleeding.' That's probably the best way to put it."

Yelena walked back up to the bridal table and began to fold more napkins.

"Well I suppose I'd have to see it for myself one day." He tried unsuccessfully to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"You should. It really was a sight. And he even cleared out the roads so I was able to pick up some souls. It saved me a trip back for at least several seasons." Yelena thought back with gratitude to his generous offer to trek out into the snow with her those few days. "And it was nice to have company."

"Yes I'm so glad he was such a big help."

Yelena smirked as she continued her unabated praise of Kade to tease him, "Opal really is lucky to have found a man like him. Most of the Commander's retinue was already half in love with him by the time he left."

"I'm starting to believe I leave you alone for too long." Familiar irritation filled him the way it tended to when she'd talk about a magician she met on her adventures who impressed her. He'd hear her gush about the things they'd show her…things he could never see, touch, or feel, much less experience with her. Her eyes would light up even as she struggled to articulate those sensations to him.

Yelena set the folded napkin in the basket. She rested her head in her hands and gazed at him intently. "You know you'll always be the one true love of my life, don't you Valek? No matter where we are or how often we're apart, I could never love another." The teasing was gone from her voice now.

Her romantic declaration made his ire dissipate as he strode over to her. She watched him as he sat down next to her with a sigh. "Yes, but there are still days when you'll have to remind me."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Yelena kissed him earnestly and reassuringly. She playfully pulled away before he could deepen the kiss. "Call it punishment then: for nearly ruining my girl's happiness. Because I really, really did like him."


End file.
